Jessie Marion King, a very versatile artist

Jessie Marion King (1875-1949) was a Scottish artist, designer, and muralist who illustrated books, created postcards and painted fabric, ceramics, and pottery. She also designed bookplates, costumes, furniture, interiors, jewelry, and wallpapers. It is estimated she has at least collaborated at more than one hundred books. Her work with batik (special wax-resist dyeing of fabrics and clothing) is considered pioneering. She was a trained tutor who worked as an art teacher at the Glasgow School of Art until her marriage, and she ran several summer schools after that.

The illustration below is a typical example of her work: ethereal characters in vibrant colors, surrouned with a decoraive border and other Art Nouveau elements. She loved medieval legends, fairy tales and religious themes.

Here are a few more interesting facts about her life:

• Jessie's father was a minister and she was raised in a very strict religious spirit. Her talent for drawing wasn't supported by family with the exception of Mary McNab who lived with them as a housekeeper. Jessie was forced to hide her drawings otherwise her mother would tear them apart. Mary McNab, on the other hand, encouraged her to explore her talents and later moved to Jessie's new home where she lived with her husband and daughter Merle Elspeth. Mary is buried in the same church where Jessie's ashes were scattered.

• Jessie Marion King went through all kinds of obstacles due to her gender. She was lucky that drawing and painting were among rare activities that were considered suitable for women and teaching was one of such professions. Anyway, she stopped teaching after her marriage, just like was expected from ladies, but kept her maiden surname which was pretty unusual at the time. Still, she dealt with many strange gender-related situations. When she got an award in Italy, for instance, the certificate was written for Signor (Mister) Jessie Marion King.

• Her earlier works are in general more praised than later creations. One of the possible reasons was a deterioration of her sight during her aging. While her preferred style is clearly Art Nouveau, pigeonholed as Glasgow Style (British Art Nouveau variant) she always added an original touch, often working 'more out of the head than copying from nature'. This can be maybe explained by a spiritual experience after which she believed she was touched by fairies who stayed part of her creative and spiritual world right to the end. After moving to Paris, she became influenced by Leon Bakst, and her work in the capital of France is today considered an influential part of the new artistic movement - Art Deco.